MIKE RUDDOCK has billed Wales' punishing autumn Test programme as ideal preparation towards their assault on the 2007 World Cup.

The Six Nations Grand Slam champions face New Zealand, Fiji, South Africa and Australia on successive weekends next month, starting with Graham Henry's All Blacks in a Millennium Stadium Bonfire Night spectacular.

It is the toughest schedule any Welsh team has embarked upon, but Ruddock delivered an upbeat message after naming an initial 30-man squad that includes a solitary uncapped player - Llanelli Scarlets full-back Lee Byrne.

"We have risen to fifth in the IRB world rankings thanks to last season's Grand Slam, but over the next month we have to face three of the teams ranked ahead of us.

"We know we face a massive test in November - one that no Welsh team in the 124-year history of our game has had to tackle. But in order to prepare prop-erly for the 2007 World Cup, we need this level of competition."

Wales haven't beaten the All Blacks since 1953, while they can reflect on just a single success against South Africa and only three victories over Australia in the last 30 years.

As if to compound Ruddock's degree of difficulty, he must send Wales into battle on Saturday week without injured Lions Gavin Henson, Tom Shanklin, Gethin Jenkins and Ryan Jones.

Three other players of the 26 used during last season's Six Nations are also absent - injured wing Hal Luscombe, dropped utility back Rhys Williams and hooker Robin McBryde, who has retired.

And there is no guarantee Lions fly-half Stephen Jones will be available to face New Zealand either, given he has not yet proved his fitness for Clermont Auvergne following ankle trouble.

But Wales' squad still contains six players each with more than 40 caps to their name, including Newcastle captain Colin Charvis, who missed the Grand Slam campaign because of injury.

"As we showed on the summer tour of North America, when we had 12 players missing on Lions duty and others injured, we were able to keep our cohesion because we have developed much greater strength in depth within the squad," Ruddock said..

Byrne's arrival, at the age of 25, is a reward for outstanding form this season, while Ruddock could yet add another uncapped player in Worcester prop Chris Horsman.

Horsman has recently completed a three-year residency qualification to represent Wales, faced a Rugby Football Union disciplinary hearing last night.

Horsman was cited for allegedly stamping on an opponent during Worcester's Guinness Premiership victory over Leeds.

If he is banned and therefore unable to take his place in the Wales squad, then Saracens' Ben Broster will be handed a chance instead.

Ruddock added: "The door is not closed on Rhys Williams, who, by his own standards, has just dropped off the pace a little bit in terms of what we are after."

Gareth Thomas has reclaimed the captaincy from No8 Michael Owen after missing Wales' final two Six Nations games, against Scotland and Ireland, because of a broken thumb.